HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University women's basketball team took on the Terriers of Wofford College in an early Saturday afternoon matchup inside the Qubein Arena. The Panthers secured their second win of the season with a score of 81-73.
The Panthers were led by Macy Spencer, who set a new career-high 24 points. She secured her high on two clutch free throws. Chana Paxixe also set her career-high in points with 17. Both players did so in the final quarter when it mattered most.
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 81, Wofford 73
Records: High Point (2-0), Wofford (1-1)
Head Coach Chelsea Banbury: "You know, we could have after the first quarter being down by ten, I think, you know, sometimes teams tend to lay down and, we had a lot of fight. And a lot of that was due to Chana [Paxixe] and Brecken [Snotherly] off the bench. I mean, they came in, they gave us a burst of energy, they got second-chance points. They're attacking the basket, and they put some life back into it. So one of the assistants said in the locker room 'that any given night, it could be anyone's night. We don't know whose it is going to be. And I love that about this team because I think we're really deep. But Chana and Brecken really, really gave us the jolt that we needed to keep us in the game. And then that first five minutes of the second half, we were able to separate and kind of make a statement with that and then keep the lead the rest of the way. So I'm not happy with our execution for 40 minutes, but I am happy with the fact that we found a way to fight and come back and end up getting the win."
The Panthers went down by 10 heading into the second quarter. However, Paxixe had a momentum-shifting second quarter, forcing multiple Wofford offensive fouls and draining a three-pointer. A 9-0 run brought the Panthers back within one with just over a minute remaining in the first half. High Point went into the break down by four, 39-35.
The Panthers stormed back in the third quarter with a Nevaeh Zavala three-pointer to bring the game within one (43-42). Then, Spencer secured the Panthers' first lead of the night with a layup on the next possession. Two more made baskets from Spencer gave the Panthers a five-point lead.
To open up the final quarter, Lexi Fleming drilled a three-pointer in the corner to give the Panthers a seven-point lead. After a back-and-forth quarter in which the Terriers brought it within two, Spencer hit another three to bring her total to 24 points.
High Point kept the ball rolling and quickly extended its lead to 10 with under 20 seconds to play, the largest lead of the game. The Panthers held on to defeat the Terriers 81-73.
Shooting from the free throw was strong for the Panthers as they nearly shot perfectly (19-22). Brecken Snotherly and Zavala hit four straight free throws with under one minute in regulation. Paxixe added seven crucial rebounds for the Panthers to help them secure the win. Zavala and Paxixe were both three rebounds away from a double-double.
In all, the Panthers forced 22 total turnovers and limited giving the ball away themselves. Dishing out 18 assists as a team allowed the Panthers to play the team basketball they needed to. Fleming recorded six of the total assists. The Panthers finished with four double-digit scorers.
Up Next: High Point will stay at home in a Wednesday night matchup against Merrimack College with tip off set for 7:00 p.m.
#H3U x #GoHPU
